Composed and performed by Lee McClure,
Rock Adagio for electric flute has evolved over 19 years to this final 2011 version with the chaconne theme in three part harmony accompanied by rock drums (drumkit). The 4th of 16 variations is based on the Adagio from J.S.Bach's Flute Sonata No.4. This revision of the 2011 recording has duration of 8.5 minutes.
This final version has become a protest against war crimes and is dedicated to Daniel Ellsberg, Chelsea Manning, Grahame Greene, and U.S. Marine Jefferey Lucey who hung himself after he killed two unarmed Iraqi prisoners in 2003. The
video of this recording has annotated explanations.
Timeline:
0:00 rhythm introduction
0:14 Chaconne theme in 2 voices
0:43 #1 variation – chaconne theme in 3 voices
1:12 #2 transition
1:42 #3 … cont.
2:10 #4 J.S. Bach variation – Adagio from Flute Sonata No.4
2:40 #5 … Bach cont.
3:09 #6 Carl Restivo variation
3:39 #7 build to improvisation
4:07 #8 Blues improvisation
4:36 #9 glissandos up
5:05 #10 vocal distortions: imagined last words of
U.S.Marine Jeffrey Lucey
5:34 #11 … vocal cont.
6:04 #12 bombs + departure of chaconne theme
6:33 #13 whistle bombs + return of chaconne theme
7:00 #14 Chaconne theme in 2 voices
7:28 #15 Chaconne theme in 3 voices
7:58 #16 diminuendo
8:38 (silence)
